BUFFALO, N.Y. — You've probably seen the signs all over Buffalo this week for the Buffalo Marathon reminding you which streets will be closed to traffic. Buffalo Marathon weekend is here.
A marathon welcome party starts at 6 p.m. Friday at Soho to celebrate.
This is just the start of what will be a packed weekend. From the full marathon to the half, to the diaper dash Saturday morning, there's something for everyone.
More than 6,900 runners from 17 countries and 46 states are signed up. That's up 10 percent from last year.
There are several roads in and around downtown Buffalo that will be closed this weekend for the marathon.
"The roads will start to close Sunday morning at 4 a.m. and will remain closed 'til 12:30, but they will progressively open as the morning goes along and the last runner passes by," said Greg Weber, the executive director and race director for the Buffalo Marathon.
"The first runners will finish the half in about an hour and 30 minutes, and the final marathon runner will be about six hours, probably six-and-a-half will be actually coming in as we're cleaning up."
As far as safety goes, the Buffalo Police Department works closely with race organizers all weekend to keep things running smoothly.
"We will have a lot of resources, a lot of police officers out. There's things that you're going to see. High visibility of police. There's things in the background you're not going to see that all goes to the protection of the seven-thousand participants and the, you know, thousands more of spectators," Buffalo Police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said.
Gramaglia says if you're not from Western New York and in town for the marathon, if you have questions, they want you to ask a police officer. He says they are there to help you get around.
"A lot of the course is open to traffic. They'll have volunteers at all the intersections, all the locations to help cross you. Just be mindful that you're going to be stopped until a volunteer tells you when to cross through an intersection. We don't need any runners, any of the participants, getting hit by a car," Gramaglia said.
There's also a charity aspect to the race.
"The race has a heart to heart contingent. It's supports Kaleida, and Buff General, and GVI, and the cardiac care there, and the cardiac programs. Our heart to heart runners are about three-hundred of them, they just crossed $125,000 for the hospital and that number is still climbing. I'm hoping they get 130 or 140 by the time the gun goes off," Greg Weber said.
And new this year, there's a finish line arch. It is the only one in the country that is fully digital. It has 96 LED panels and will show custom videos.
There are also fireworks scheduled for 9:15 p.m. Friday.